WINTER HAVEN, Fla. – A home health care nurse was arrested Thursday in Polk County after more than $140,000 was stolen from a 77-year-old blind man, according to the sheriff’s office.
Detectives said the nurse — Carrie Hutchinson, 46 — was originally hired to take care of the victim’s wife, though the woman passed away in 2020.
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But even after her death, the victim retained Hutchinson as a personal assistant, so she had access to his financial accounts to help pay his bills, do his shopping and take care of his finances, a news release states.
According to deputies, she was paid $5,800 per month until 2024, which is when she got a pay raise to $6,000 per month.
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However, investigators explained that the man began to grow suspicious about what was happening with his finances in July, so he reached out to a friend of his (who happened to be a retired CFO) to investigate his financial accounts.
The news release shows that there were several fraudulent transactions, including:
- An order of “Pop On Veneers’ that was sent to Hutchinson in July — $780 charged to the victim’s American Express card
- A United Airlines ticket in December 2023 for a friend of Hutchinson’s to fly to Florida to visit her — Charged to the victim’s American Express card
- A payment to Allegiant Airlines in August 2023 for Hutchinson and four of her friends to fly to Bangor, Maine — $1,588 charged to the victim’s Bank of America card
- 270 orders on the victim’s Amazon account from April 2021 to July 2024 — $4,774
In total, deputies accused her of stealing $141,594.
“Her four years’ worth of theft from the victim included ATM withdrawals and payments for cruises, photography classes, VRBO rentals, pet supplies, animal hospital charges and her personal credit cards,” the release reads.
After Hutchinson returned from a cruise in July, the victim confronted her about the theft and fired her, deputies said.
In response, Hutchinson reportedly told the victim that she had “borrowed” money from him to pay for the cruise and had planned to pay him back. But with her being fired, she claimed she could no longer do so, deputies added.
“This woman’s actions are despicable,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. “Taking advantage of an elderly man who entrusted her with his life savings while also paying her a good salary is inexcusable and unforgivable.”
Hutchinson faces charges of grand theft of $100,000 or more; exploitation of the elderly; and criminal use of another person’s ID.
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